Methods of forming a contact to a substrate

ABSTRACT

A method of forming a contact to a substrate includes forming insulating material comprising a substantially amorphous outer surface over a substrate node location. A contact opening is etched through the insulating material over the node location. The node location comprises an outwardly exposed substantially crystalline metal silicide surface. The substrate with outwardly exposed substantially crystalline metal silicide node location surface is provided within a chemical vapor deposition reactor. A gaseous precursor including silicon is fed to the chemical vapor deposition reactor under conditions effective to substantially selectively deposit polysilicon on the outwardly exposed substantially crystalline metal silicide node location surface and not on the insulating material.

RELATED PATENT DATA

This patent resulted from a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/429,236, filed on Oct. 28, 1999, entitled“Method of Depositing Polysilicon, Method of Fabricating a Field EffectTransistor, Method of Forming a Contact to a Substrate, Method ofForming a Capacitor”, naming Michael Nuttall, Er-Xuan Ping, and YongjunJeff Hu as inventors, the disclosure of which is incorporated byreference. That application resulted from a divisional application ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/023,239, filed Feb. 13, 1998,entitled “Method Of Depositing Polysilicon, Method Of Fabricating AField Effect Transistor, Method Of Forming A Contact To A Substrate,Method Of Forming A Capacitor”, naming Michael Nuttall, Er-Xuan Ping,and Yongjun Jeff Hu as inventors, and which is now U.S. Pat. No.6,159,852, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to methods of depositing polysilicon, to methodsof fabricating field effect transistor, to methods of forming contactsto substrates and to methods of forming capacitors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Device geometry continues to shrink in semiconductor circuitryfabrication. For example, field effect transistor gate width is nowcommonly below one micron and source/drain junction depth 1000 Angstromsor less. A challenge in such constructions is to reduce parasiticsource/drain serial resistance while maintaining low source/drain diodeleakage. Such resistance can be reduced by providing a thicker suicideover the source/drain. Such is typically provided by depositing a metallayer on the source/drain which typically comprises monocrystallinesilicon. A subsequent anneal causes a reaction which consumes a portionof the silicon to form the silicide. However, large consumption ofsilicon to form the desired thicker silicide results in thesilicide/junction interface being very close to the base of thejunction. This causes source/drain diode leakage current to thesubstrate to increase.

Raised or elevated source/drain constructions in field effecttransistors can be utilized to minimize or reduce the amount of siliconconsumed in forming a silicide portion of a substrate contact. Further,raised source/drain constructions can provide desired field effecttransistor constructions independent of the silicide contact which istypically formed. For example, raised source/drain transistors arecommonly uses in logic device applications where device speed is animportant factor.

Elevated source/drain constructions are typically formed in the priorart by selectively growing epitaxial monocrystalline silicon atop thesilicon junction regions. Such is typically accomplished in costlyepitaxial reactors operating under ultra high vacuum (UHV), for exampleat vacuum pressures of the order of 0.001 mTorr. Violette et al., “Lowtemperature selective silicon epitaxy by ultra high vacuum rapid thermalchemical vapor deposition using Si₂H₆, H₂ and Cl₂”, Applied PhysicsLetter 68(1), pp.66-68, Jan.1, 1996 disclose a selective epi silicondeposition process occurring at 800° C. and 30mTorr or less.

It would be desirable to improve upon these and other prior artprocesses of selectively forming silicon over silicon substrates.Although motivated from this objective, the artisan will appreciateother applicability of the disclosed technology, with the invention onlybeing limited by the accompanying claims appropriately interpreted inaccordance with the Doctrine Of Equivalents.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In but one aspect of the invention, a method of depositing polysiliconcomprises providing a substrate within a chemical vapor depositionreactor, with the substrate having an exposed substantially crystallineregion and an exposed substantially amorphous region. A gaseousprecursor comprising silicon is fed to the chemical vapor depositionreactor under conditions effective to substantially selectively depositpolysilicon on the crystalline region and not the amorphous region.

In another aspect a method of fabricating a field effect transistor on asubstrate comprises forming a gate dielectric layer and a gate oversemiconductive material. Doped source/drain regions are formed withinsemiconductive material laterally proximate the gate. Substantiallyamorphous insulating material is formed over and laterally proximate thegate. The substrate is provided within a chemical vapor depositionreactor. A gaseous precursor comprising silicon is fed to the chemicalvapor deposition reactor under conditions effective to substantiallyselectively deposit polysilicon on the source/drain regions and not onsubstantially amorphous material, and forming elevated source/drains onthe doped source/drain regions.

In but another aspect, a method of forming a contact to a substratecomprises forming substantially amorphous insulating material over asubstrate node location. A contact opening is etched through theamorphous insulating material over the node location. The node locationis provided to comprise an outwardly exposed substantially crystallinesurface. The substrate with outwardly exposed substantially crystallinenode location surface is provided within a chemical vapor depositionreactor. A gaseous precursor comprising silicon is fed to the chemicalvapor deposition reactor under conditions effective to substantiallyselectively deposit polysilicon on the outwardly exposed crystallinenode location surface and not on the insulating material.

An aspect of the invention also comprises forming a capacitor. In oneimplementation, a substrate is provided within a chemical vapordeposition reactor. The substrate has an exposed substantiallycrystalline region and an exposed substantially amorphous region. Agaseous precursor comprising silicon is fed to the chemical vapordeposition reactor under conditions effective to substantiallyselectively deposit polysilicon on the crystalline region and not theamorphous region, and the polysilicon is formed into a first capacitorelectrode. A capacitor dielectric layer is formed over the polysilicon.A second capacitor electrode is formed over the capacitor dielectriclayer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below withreference to the following accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a semiconductor wafer fragment at oneprocess in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the FIG. 1 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that depicted by FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an alternate view of the FIG. 1 wafer fragment at an alternateprocessing step subsequent to that depicted by FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of an alternate embodiment semiconductorwafer fragment at a processing step in accordance with an aspect of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a view of the FIG. 4 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that shown by FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic sectional view of yet another alternateembodiment wafer fragment at a processing step in accordance with anaspect of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic sectional view of still another alternateembodiment wafer fragment at a processing step in accordance with anaspect of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a view of the FIG. 7 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that shown by FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is yet another view of an alternate embodiment semiconductorwafer fragment at a processing step in accordance with an aspect of theinvention.

FIG. 10 is a view of the FIG. 9 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that depicted by FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a view of the FIG. 9 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that depicted by FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view of the FIG. 9 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that depicted by FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is still another view of an alternate embodiment semiconductorwafer fragment at a processing step in accordance with an aspect of theinvention.

FIG. 14 is a view of the FIG. 13 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that depicted by FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a view of the FIG. 13 wafer fragment at a processing stepsubsequent to that depicted by FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This disclosure of the invention is submitted in furtherance of theconstitutional purposes of the U.S. Patent Laws “to promote the progressof science and useful arts” (Article 1, Section 8).

In the prior art, polysilicon is typically deposited by chemical vapordeposition utilizing precursor gases, such as silane. Typical depositiontemperatures are from 500° C. to 625° C. at a pressure ranging from 50mTorr to 1 Torr. Deposition temperatures less than about 550° C. resultin an amorphous deposition while deposition temperatures greater than550° C. result in a polycrystalline deposition. Regardless, thedeposition typically results in a uniform, conformal layer of siliconatop the semiconductor substrate.

Referring to FIG. 1, a semiconductor wafer in process is indicatedgenerally with reference numeral 10. Such comprises, for example, a bulkmonocrystalline silicon substrate 12 having an exposed insulatingdielectric layer or region 14 associated therewith, such as SiO₂ orSi₃N₄. Monocrystalline silicon 12 presents an exposed substantiallycrystalline region 16, while all of the illustrated dielectric material14 constitutes an exposed substantially amorphous dielectric materialregion as depicted in FIG. 1. In the context of this document,“substantially crystalline” and “substantially amorphous” refer to therespective attributes at greater than 90% of the exposed material at itsexposed surface. For example, an exposed substantially crystallineregion will have its exposed surface having at least 90% crystallinity,while an exposed substantially amorphous region will have its exposedsurface being at least 90% amorphous. Also in the context of thisdocument, “predominately” means greater than 50%.

Further in the context of this document, the term “semiconductivesubstrate” is defined to mean any construction comprising semiconductivematerial, including, but not limited to, bulk semiconductive materialssuch as a semiconductive wafer (either alone or in assemblies comprisingother materials thereon), and semiconductive material layers (eitheralone to or in assemblies comprising other materials). The term“substrate” refers to any supporting structure, including, but notlimited to, the semiconductive substrates described above.

Referring to FIG. 2, wafer 10 is provided within a chemical vapordeposition reactor. Preferably, the wafer has been subjected to a nativeoxide strip, such as by using an HF dip, immediately prior to placementwith the reactor. A gaseous precursor comprising silicon is fed to thereactor under conditions effective to substantially selectively deposita polysilicon layer 18 on crystalline region 16 and not on amorphousregion 14. In the context of this document, “substantially selective” or“substantially selectively” denotes deposition over one region ascompared to another to a thickness ratio of greater than 5:1. An exampleand preferred reactor is a hot wall low pressure chemical vapordeposition reactor, with the processing conditions being void of plasmageneration. Alternately, plasma can be utilized. Exemplary and suitableconditions within the reactor comprise a temperature of greater than orequal to about 650° C. and a pressure less than or equal to about 100mTorr. A preferred upper temperature limit is 850° C. Also preferably,pressure is greater than 30 mTorr and temperature is less than 800° C.during deposition, thus overcoming the extreme low pressure/hightemperature environments (and thus costs associated therewith) of theprior art epitaxial silicon deposition processes. Accordingly in oneimplementation, the invention enables use of conventional, lower costdeposition furnaces instead of the ultra high vacuum rapid thermal epireactors.

Example preferred silicon precursors include silanes, includingchlorosilanes. Specific examples include SiH₄, Si₂H₆, and SiCl₂H₂.However most preferably, the deposition conditions are void of feedingchlorine containing gas to the reactor thus eliminating any tendency ofthe substrate being etched during the selective deposition. Theinvention was reduced to practice utilizing as vertical hot wall LPCVDreactor holding 100 wafers. The feed gas was SiH₄ at 50 sccm, with theatmosphere within the reactor during processing consisting entirely oressentially of such gaseous silane precursor. Temperature duringprocessing was 700° C., with pressure being substantially maintained at70 mTorr. An exemplary broader range for gas flow is from about 20 sccmto about 1000 sccm. Under such conditions, near 100% selectivity in thedeposition was achieved (i.e., essentially no deposition over region 14)during deposition of the first 1500 Angstroms of polysilicon. Above thisthickness, polysilicon began to deposit on region 14, which comprisedundoped SiO₂. Modifying process conditions by one or both of raisingtemperature and lowering pressure will have greater improvement onselectivity as a function of thickness. Regardless, suchreduction-to-practice example conditions in the subject reactor do havesignificant utility, as present and future generations of semiconductorwafer fabrication comprises deposition of polysilicon layers to lessthan 1000 Angstroms.

Alternate exposed crystalline surfaces, by way of example only,utilizable in the context of the invention include suicides (such asTiSi_(x) and Wsi₄), crystalline dielectrics (such as barium strontiumtitanate and Ta₂O₅), aluminum, copper, aluminum-copper alloys, tungsten,and other crystalline metals or metal-like materials. Selectivity in thedeposition is expected to be greatest where the reactor atmosphereduring the time period of deposition is substantially void of a gascomprising a conductivity enhancing dopant, or other gases, althoughconductivity enhancing gases (such as B₂H₆) are expected to providefunctional selectivity in accordance with the invention.

An alternate considered embodiment is described with reference to FIG. 3which illustrates a semiconductor wafer fragment 10 a. Like numeralsfrom the first described embodiment are utilized where appropriate, withdifferences being indicated with the suffix “a” or with differentnumerals. In this example, materials 12 a (and correspondingly exposedregion 16 a) and 14 a can be considered as presenting exposedpredominately crystalline and predominately amorphous regions,respectively. Such regions could also constitute exposed substantiallycrystalline and substantially amorphous regions, respectively. Within achemical vapor deposition reactor, a gaseous silicon precursor is fedunder conditions effective to deposit a polysilicon layer 18 a on boththe exposed crystalline and amorphous regions. Polysilicon layer 18 ahas a region 19 within the previously exposed at least predominatelycrystalline region 16 a and a region 20 over the exposed at leastpredominately amorphous region. Deposited polysilicon region 19 has agreater thickness than deposited polysilicon region 20. Region 20 can besubsequently removed if desired.

In accordance with the reduction to practice example, such was achievedwith a silane flow rate at 50 sccm with reactor temperature and pressureduring processing being maintained at 700° C. and 70 mTorr,respectively, when the thickness of region 18 a reached about 1500Angstroms. In such reduction-to-practice example, exposed region 16 awas substantially crystalline and region 14 a was substantiallyamorphous. Modifying deposition conditions by one or both of loweringtemperature and raising pressure will result in lowering of thethreshold thickness upon which appreciable deposition begins relative tothe exposed amorphous region. Further, modifying crystalline/amorphouscontent of the exposed surface(s) by reducing the degree ofcrystallinity below 90% in region 16 a and reducing amorphous content tobelow 90% in region 14 a would further impact by lowering the thresholdthickness limit where appreciable polysilicon begins to develop on theexposed predominately amorphous region.

The invention can have applicability, for example, in fabrication offield effect transistors, such as will now be described with referenceto FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 illustrates a semiconductor wafer fragment 24comprised of a bulk monocrystalline silicon substrate 26 havingisolation regions 28 formed therein. A gate construction 30 is providedcentrally between isolation regions 28. Such comprises a gate dielectriclayer 32 and a gate 34 provided thereover. Gate 34 preferably comprisesa silicide layer over a polysilicon layer. Substantially amorphousinsulating material, such as Si₃N₄ in the illustrated form ofanisotropically etched sidewall spacers 36 and cap 38, is provided overand laterally proximate gate 34, with the illustrated gate construction30 being provided over semiconductive material 26. Doped source/drainregions 40 and 42 are formed within semiconductive material 26 laterallyproximate the illustrated gate.

Referring to FIG. 5, wafer 24 has been provided within a chemical vapordeposition reactor and processed as described above effectively tosubstantially selectively deposit polysilicon on source/drain regions 40and 42, and not on the substantially amorphous material of regions 28,36 and 38. Elevated source/drain regions 44 and 46 are formed on dopedsource/drain regions 40 and 42, respectively. An example and preferredthickness for the entirety of each region 40/44, and 42/46 is 500Angstroms. As an alternate example, doping to fully form regions 40 and42 could occur after provisions of elevated regions 44 and 46.

FIG. 6 illustrates exemplary alternate processing relative to a waferfragment 24 a. Like numerals from the FIGS. 4 and 5 embodiment areutilized where appropriate, with differences being indicated with asuffix “a”, or with different numerals. Wafer fragment 24 a is the sameas that depicted in FIG. 4, and additionally includes formation of asubstantially amorphous insulating material layer 48 (for example suchas SiO₂, doped or undoped, or Si₃N₄) thereover. Openings 50 and 52 havebeen etched through amorphous insulating material layer 48 over theillustrated source/drain regions to expose such regions, while leavingthe gate protectively covered with amorphous insulating material.Processing would then continue as described above with respect to FIG.5, with the elevated source/drain regions forming as described above(not shown in FIG. 6). Such processing might be desired where otherportions of the wafer are desired to be masked during the substantiallyselective polysilicon deposition, or where polysilicon growth is desiredon less than all of the exposed source/drain regions or othercrystalline material regions which would be exposed but for provision oflayer 48.

Further exemplary processing is next described with reference to FIGS. 7and 8 relative to a wafer fragment 60. Such comprises a crystallinesubstrate 62 having a conductive diffusion region 64 formed therein. Inthis example, the crystalline silicon is monocrystalline silicon, butother substrates could be utilized where the node location of interestis polycrystalline silicon. Region 64 constitutes a substrate nodelocation to which electrical contact is desired. A substantiallyamorphous insulating material layer 66 is formed over substrate nodelocation 64, and a contact opening 68 is etched through such materialover node location 64, and in this example, all the way to thecrystalline silicon of node location 64.

Referring to FIG. 8, substrate 60 has been provided within a chemicalvapor deposition reactor and processing conducted, as for example asdescribed above, effectively to substantially selectively depositpolysilicon 70 within contact opening 68 on crystalline silicon of nodelocation 64, and not on insulating material 66.

Further alternate processing is described with reference to FIGS. 9-12with respect to a semiconductor wafer fragment 72. Like numerals fromthe first described embodiment have been utilized where appropriate withdifferences being indicated with the suffix “a” or with differentnumerals. Wafer fragment 72 appears as wafer fragment 60 of FIG. 7 at aprocessing step immediately subsequent thereto. Specifically, waferfragment 72 includes a deposited metal layer 74, such as Ti or W.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, wafer fragment 72 has been subjected to,for example, conventional SALACIDE processing to form a silicide region76 at the base of contact opening 68. Metal layer 74 is thereafterstripped (FIG. 11) to leave silicide region 76 at the base of contact68. Such provides a node location at the base of contact 68 which, inthis example, comprises an outwardly exposed substantially crystallinesurface in the form of a silicide.

Referring to FIG. 12, wafer fragment 72 has been provided within achemical vapor deposition reactor and conditions provided to beeffective to substantially selectively deposit polysilicon 80 on theoutwardly exposed silicide node location surface and not on insulatingmaterial 66.

Further alternate processing is next described with reference to FIGS.13-15 regarding methods of forming a capacitor. FIG. 13 illustrates asemiconductor wafer fragment 81 comprised of bulk monocrystallinesilicon 82 having a diffusion region 83 formed therein. A layer ofamorphous silicon dioxide 84 is formed thereover. A contact opening 86is etched through layer 84 to diffusion region 83. Opening 86 is pluggedwith a crystalline material 87, such as conductive polysilicon, andplanarized relative to layer 84.

Referring to FIG. 14, substrate 81 has been placed within a chemicalvapor deposition reactor and processed as described above to selectivelydeposit polysilicon 88 over crystalline material 87. Polysilicon 88 canbe further processed, such as by patterning. to form a desired firstcapacitor electrode shape if the initial deposition is not as desired.

Referring to FIG. 15, a capacitor dielectric layer 89 is depositedfollowed by deposition of a second capacitor electrode layer 90 to forma capacitor 93. Such can be formed by conventional or other processing.For example, techniques of the invention as described above can beutilized to selectively deposit second capacitor electrode layer 90 ondielectric layer 89 where such is fabricated to be crystalline. Forexample, barium strontium titanate and Ta₂O₅ are exemplary crystallinecapacitor dielectric layer materials. Such material can be depositedover first capacitor electrode 88, patterned if desired to provideexposed if amorphous material and the crystalline material 89 wheredesired, and a selective deposition as described above then conducted.

In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described inlanguage more or less specific as to structural and methodical features.It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited tothe specific features shown and described, since the means hereindisclosed comprise preferred forms of putting the invention into effect.The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms ormodifications within the proper scope of the appended claimsappropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine ofequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming a contact to a substratecomprising: forming insulating material over a substrate node location,the insulating material comprising a substantially amorphous outersurface; etching a contact opening through the insulating material overthe node location; providing the node location to comprise an outwardlyexposed substantially crystalline metal silicide surface; providing thesubstrate with outwardly exposed substantially crystalline metalsilicide node location surface within a chemical vapor depositionreactor; and feeding a gaseous precursor comprising silicon to thechemical vapor deposition reactor under conditions effective tosubstantially selectively deposit polysilicon on the outwardly exposedsubstantially crystalline metal silicide node location surface and noton the insulating material.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein thecrystalline surface comprises a silicide formed over monocrystallinesilicon.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the conditions comprisepressure greater than 30 mTorr.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein theconditions comprise pressure greater than 30 mTorr and temperature ofless than 800° C.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the conditions arevoid of feeding chlorine containing gas to the reactor.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the conditions are void of plasma.
 7. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the conditions comprise a temperature of from about 650°C. to about 850° C. and a reactor pressure at less than or equal toabout 100 mTorr.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the conditions includea reactive atmosphere during depositing which consists essentially of agaseous silane precursor.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the silanecomprises a chlorosilane.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein theconditions are void of plasma.
 11. The method of claim 8 wherein theconditions comprise a temperature of from about 650° C. to about 850° C.and a reactor pressure at less than or equal to about 100 mTorr.
 12. Amethod of forming a contact to a substrate comprising: forminginsulating material over a substrate node location comprisingcrystalline silicon, the insulating material comprising a substantiallyamorphous outer surface; etching a contact opening through theinsulating material to the crystalline silicon of the node location;after the etching, forming a substantially crystalline metal silicide onthe crystalline silicon; providing the substrate with etched contactopening within a chemical vapor deposition reactor; and feeding agaseous precursor comprising silicon to the chemical vapor depositionreactor under conditions effective to substantially selectively depositpolysilicon within the contact opening on the substantially crystallinemetal silicide of the node location and not on the insulating material.13. The method of claim 12 wherein the crystalline silicon ismonocrystalline silicon.
 14. The method of claim 12 wherein thecrystalline silicon is polycrystalline silicon.
 15. The method of claim12 wherein the gaseous precursor comprising silicon comprises a silane,and wherein pressure during deposition is greater than 30 mTorr.
 16. Themethod of claim 12 wherein the conditions are void of feeding chlorinecontaining gas to the reactor.
 17. The method of claim 12 wherein theconditions are void of plasma.
 18. The method of claim 12 wherein theconditions comprise a temperature of from about 650° C. to about 850° C.and a reactor pressure at less than or equal to about 100 mTorr.
 19. Themethod of claim 12 wherein the conditions include a reactive atmosphereduring depositing which consists essentially of a gaseous silaneprecursor.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the silane comprises achlorosilane.
 21. The method of claim 19 wherein the conditions are voidof plasma.
 22. The method of claim 19 wherein the conditions comprise atemperature of from about 650° C. to about 850° C. and a reactorpressure at less than or equal to about 100 mTorr.